The present invention relates to a disc reproducing apparatus.
In general, a compact disc (hereinafter referred to as disc) has a diameter of 12 cm and a thickness of 1.2 mm. The information recorded on the disc is reproduced continuously from its inner circumferential area to its outer circumferential area.
There have been known several types of disc reproducing apparatus which can accommodate a plurality of discs, and can select one disc therefrom so as to reproduce the same. One type of disc reproducing apparatus has a structure in which a detachable magazine accommodating a plurality of discs is at first installed into the apparatus, and one disc is then selected therefrom when it is to be reproduced.
One of the above-described disc reproducing apparatus is disclosed by the applicant in Japanese Patent Application No. 10-107266, as shown in FIG. 25.
Referring to FIG. 25, the disc reproducing apparatus is formed with an elongated opening A1 through which a disc can be inserted into or removed from the reproducing apparatus.
As shown in FIG. 25, a pair of disc driving rollers B are provided within the reproducing apparatus, located near both ends of the elongated opening A1. Each of the disc driving rollers B is arranged horizontally in parallel with the disc transporting direction, and is rotatable in either direction so as to assist a disc in its movement into or from the apparatus. Further, each roller B is allowed to make a semi-circular turning about its inner end B1. In addition, the surface of each roller B is formed into a tapered shape being gradually sharpened towards the center line of the disc movement, in order that a disc being transported is sure to be moved along the center line.
The reproducing apparatus contains a disc holder C provided close to the front side of the apparatus. The disc holder C has a plurality of trays C1 arranged in the vertical direction, with each tray being able to hold one disc D.
Further referring to FIG. 25, a disc reproducing section E is provided within the reproducing apparatus close to the rear side thereof. The reproducing section E comprises a turntable F for mounting an optical disc, an optical pickup section G for reproducing the information recorded on the disc, a pickup moving means H for slidingly moving the pickup section G in the radio direction of the disc, a detecting switch I and a home switch HSW which are capable of detecting an innermost circumferential position of a disc in order that the pickup section G can exactly stop at the innermost circumferential position. The reproducing section E further comprises a clamper J which is pivotably supported through one end J1 thereof on the reproducing section E. The other end J2 of the clamper J can downwardly press the disc D. In fact, the reproducing section E is horizontally pivotable about a shaft K.
The detecting switch I is pivotably supported on the reproducing section E and it is pivotable about a pivot shaft Ia, but is constantly urged in the clockwise direction by virtue of a coil spring (not shown).
Further, the detecting switch I has an engaging member Ib which can engage on one end of the pickup moving means H, so that once the engaging member Ib is pushed by one end of the pickup moving means H, the switch I can be rotated in the counter clockwise direction against the urging force of the coil spring.
Moreover, the detecting switch I is provided with an arm member HSWA in a manner such that when the detecting switch I is caused to pivot about the pivot shaft Ia, the arm member HSWA will get in contact with or leave from the home switch HSW, thereby making ON or OFF the home switch HSW. In fact, the home switch HSW is adapted to control the driving of the moving means H, but is normally in OFF state (when not controlling the movement of the moving means H).
When a disc is to be reproduced from its innermost circumferential portion, the pickup section G is slidably moved towards the innermost portion. At this moment, the front end of the pickup moving means H will push the engaging member Ib of the detecting switch I, so as to cause the detecting switch I to turn in the counter clockwise direction. If, at this time, the home switch HSW is in its ON state, it will be detected that the pickup section G has moved into a position inner than the innermost circumferential area of the disc D, so that the movement of the moving mechanism H is stopped immediately, thereby preventing a contact between the pickup section G and the turntable F. Then, the pickup section G is moved backward until the home switch HSW becomes OFF.
On the other hand, when a disc D is to be received into a desired position within the reproducing device, at first, a selected tray C1 has to be moved up to a height corresponding to the driving rollers B. When a disc D is inserted from the outside of the reproducing apparatus, the driving rollers B are caused to rotate so as to move the disc D on to the selected tray C1.
When the disc D is to be reproduced, the reproducing section E is caused to pivot about the pivot shaft K in the clockwise direction. Then, the disc D is moved onto the turntable F, and the clamper J is operated to press down the disc D so as to clamp the same. Subsequently, the pickup section G begins to move from the innermost circumferential portion of the disc by virtue of the moving mechanism H, thereby starting the reproduction of the disc D.
However, with the above conventional reproducing apparatus, if a detecting means is provided to detect whether a disc inserted from the outside has been exactly received in a predetermined position within the reproducing apparatus, the operation of the reproducing apparatus may be performed in a more correct manner.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved disc reproducing apparatus which is provided with highly reliable detecting means capable of carrying out various detections, including detecting whether a disc inserted from the outside has been exactly received in a predetermined position within the reproducing apparatus, so that the operation of the reproducing apparatus may be performed in a more correct manner.
According to the present invention, there is provided a disc reproducing apparatus which comprises a disc holder for receiving a plurality of discs; a disc reproducing section including a turntable for mounting a disc, an optical pickup for reproducing information recorded on the disc, a pickup moving mechanism for moving the optical pickup in the radial direction of the disc; a reproducing section pivoting means for pivoting the reproducing section between a reproducing position and a non-reproducing position; and a disc transporting means for transporting a disc inserted from the outside to the disc holder. In particular, the disc reproducing section includes a position detecting means for detecting a position of the optical pickup in the reproducing apparatus. Further, when the disc reproducing section is in its non-reproducing position, the position detecting means is adapted to detect the position of a disc which has been transported from the outside into the apparatus.
In one aspect of the present invention, the position detecting means includes a pivotable arm pivotable between a detecting position and a non-detecting position, a switch which can be made ON or OFF by virtue of the pivotable arm, said pivotable arm having a first portion which can be pressed by the pickup and a second portion which can be pressed by a disc.
In another aspect of the present invention, the switch is adapted to control a driving action of the reproducing section moving means and also to control a transporting action of the disc transporting means.
In a further aspect of the present invention, the position detecting means is adapted to detect whether the optical pickup is in an innermost circumferential position of a disc.
In a still further aspect of the present invention, the position detecting means is adapted to detect whether a disc inserted from the outside has been transported to a desired tray of the disc holder.
In one more aspect of the present invention, when the disc reproducing section is in its non-reproducing position, the optical pickup is in a Position not detectable by the position detecting means.
In one more aspect of the present invention, the disc reproducing section is movable in a disc arranging direction along which the plurality of discs are arranged one above another in the disc holder.
In one more aspect of the present invention, the disc holder includes a plurality of trays each capable of mounting one disc and movable in the disc arranging direction.
In one more aspect of the present invention, when a disc is transported by the disc transporting means, the disc reproducing section is kept at the same height as that of a tray which will receive and hold the disc.
The above objects and features of the present invention will become better understood from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings.